The last two days we have based ourselves at Salida del Sol in Patnem.  The sea state has been great and we’ve got a lot of swimming in.  The night before last, we ate in Palolem,just the three of us.  We tried a new (to us) restaurant called Cherry Olive, which started in North Goa and has been massively successful with a mixed cuisine.  Their most famous offering are pies.  Anyway, Bob and Daisy both had chicken and mushroom pies which were just amazing.  Fantastic pastry and a tasty filling, all made fresh on the premises.  They have various sorts of pie.  I had fillet steak which was just superb.  A good inch and a half thick and cooked perfectly to order.  We will definitely return.

Last night we all ate at Salida which was fun.  We were 15 in number and we got on our Indian clothes for the occasion.  Everyone looke very nice indeed.  I wish I had more photos but my battery died!   Started with pre drinks at Eve’s and then walked down to the beach.  They’d made us a special table on the sands in front of the restaurant and we had a really good dinner.  Much laughter and good food and drink.

This morning our friends Sheena and Dave arrived from the UK.  They came for the first time last year and fell in love with Patnem and so came back this year.  Flew Emirates via Dubai and Bangalore into Goa and said it was a good flight.  It will all be better next year if the Air India direct flights come into effect.  Thomas Cook left quite a gap this year.  Not that everyone came TC by any means, but the massive gap they left meant that demand outstripped supply and the other airlines hoisted their prices accordingly and tickets became expensive and hard to get..

Anyway, they settled in, had a nap and came down to the beach mid afternoon.  we all had a good catchup.

Tonight our numbers were at the apex and we had a big dinner at Eve’s, 17 of us.  It was a most convivial affair, only saddened at the end when Joseph and Janet turned in at 10 in order to get up at 1 for their taxi to the airport.  Their two weeks have flown by and we will miss them muchly.

A busy week of activities ahead, starting tomorrow with a day at Cozy Nook in Palolem and then to the cinema in the evening to see “Joker”.